Low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with anxiety in children and adolescents with dialysis

Sci Rep. 2018 Apr 13;8(1):5956. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-24451-7.

Abstract

Anxiety is a frequent and serious complication of children and adolescents receiving dialysis. Low serum vitamin D levels have been associated with anxiety in non-pediatric patients. This study sought to examine the possible association between serum vitamin D levels and the presence of anxiety in children and adolescents with dialysis in China. A total of 156 pediatric patients who were on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and 100 healthy controls were included in the current study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels were measured by using a competitive protein-binding assay. Anxiety was assessed by using the Chinese version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED, = 25 as cutoff). Among 156 patients, 110 had a current anxiety (70.5%) and 46 did not (29.5%). Serum levels of 25(OH)D were significantly lower in patients with anxiety than in normal controls (19.4 ± 10.3 vs. 38.6 ± 15.5 ng/ml, P < 0.001). Serum 25(OH)D levels (≤15.0 ng/ml) were independently associated with the existent of anxiety in children and adolescents receiving dialysis (OR 4.650, 95% CI 1.663-13.001, P = 0.003). Our research demonstrates that low serum levels of vitamin D are independently associated with anxiety among children and adolescents on dialysis, which needs to be confirmed in future experimental and clinical studies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Anxiety / blood*
  • Anxiety / etiology*
  • Child
  • China
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Peritoneal Dialysis / methods
  • Renal Dialysis / methods
  • Vitamin D / analogs & derivatives
  • Vitamin D / blood*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / blood*
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / complications*

Substances

  • Vitamin D
  • 25-hydroxyvitamin D